Leadership Gifts Manager

***Please submit a cover letter for consideration***

About The Kennedy Center

“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – President John F. Kennedy

The Kennedy Center is the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra. 

At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. 

Mission Statement: As the nation's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across America and around the world, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts. 

Why Join Us

We offer a total rewards package to all full-time employees to include: 

• Staff offers for discount tickets
• Retirement plan with organization matching (after 1 year of employment)
• Qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Commuter programs including pre-tax options for discounted parking and SmartBenefits (WMATA)
• Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Days available immediately upon hire
• 11 paid holidays per year 
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with FSA and HSA options, and paid FMLA
• Flexible work arrangements
• We like to have fun! Check out theKennedy Center National Dance Day 2024 staff video!

Pay Details

The Kennedy Center strives to design equitable compensation programs. The projected salary range for this position is $71,900 - $93,500, commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package. This is the targeted range of possible compensation for this role at the time of posting. This range may be modified in the future. Base pay within the range is ultimately determined by a candidate’s skills, expertise, and experience as it relates to the position qualifications and responsibilities.

Job Description

The Manager of Leadership Gifts assists the Individual Giving department to manage, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of donors, primarily focused on the Kennedy Center National Committee for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The NCPA is a non-partisan advisory board comprised of business, cultural, and political leaders from across America who are supporters of the performing arts. NCPA members serve as ambassadors for the Kennedy Center in their home communities, and are instrumental in spreading the Center’s artistic and educational vision across the country.

The Manager is responsible for strategy setting, portfolio and moves management, and administrative responsibilities related to five- and six- figure unrestricted and restricted contributions and special event stewardship for this dynamic national donor group. In addition to being their primary steward, this role will also be responsible for the planning and execution of the executive committee member’s activities, committee meetings, national trips, and other major events.

This is an exciting position for an organized fundraiser and strong relationship manager interested in leading the stewardship of a national philanthropic group and growing the portfolio and its impact. This role may also support fundraising activities or cross-stewardship opportunities with other Individual Giving committees such as the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts, Circles, or the Washington National Opera or the National Symphony Orchestra as opportunities arise.

Key Responsibilities

Active portfolio management: working at the direction of the Director and in collaboration with the VP of Individual Giving, the Manager cultivates and stewards a portfolio of donors, primarily focused on the NCPA.

• Support the strategy, timing, and prioritization of fundraising efforts, including written and verbal communications, in collaboration with team members across Individual Giving, for a portfolio of ~90 donors and $2M+ in contributions
• Solicit annual gifts designed to meet contribution targets across the portfolio, other designated giving, and institution-wide fundraising efforts.
• Cultivate opportunities for additional five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts for individual donors in the portfolio in collaboration with department leadership.
• Prospect new members to grow the portfolio in collaboration with research teams and other stewardship teams
• Communicating timely and appropriate information with donors, prospects, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Tracking progress accurately in the database, ensuring completion of action steps from initial discovery through acquisition, and reporting progress to appropriate levels.
• Working collaboratively across the Development department, affiliates, and KC-wide teams to coordinate, plan, and execute on donor prospecting, solicitation strategies, and department-wide initiatives.

Committee engagement: actively manage committee member activities, including business meetings, executive committee projects, cultivation and fundraising events, and annual trips:

• Manage the process for developing presentations, meeting agendas, registration materials, briefings, and other materials in preparation for various events and work in collaboration with research and marketing/communications teams.
• Oversee the planning and execution of stewardship and cultivation events such as receptions, tours, dinners, etc. in collaboration with the special events team or external event management companies.
• Provide donor support and stewardship at several major KC-wide fundraising events annually onsite and on trips.
• Support the needs of NCPA Executive Committee members such as member on/off boarding, researching and tracking prospects for NCPA membership, coordinating administrative aspects of virtual or in-person committee meetings.
• Collaborate with the Kennedy Center’s Education teams on key projects, briefings for the Committee, and impact reports/newsletters.

Portfolio Administration: manage all systems and administrative functions

• Draft and edit written materials such as solicitation letters, campaign materials, acknowledgments, research briefings, proposals, impact reports, tax receipts, e-newsletters, and trip itineraries.
• Ensure timely and accurate entry and acknowledgment of all pledges and gifts
• Track progress toward goal and reporting to leadership, including: Updating all data and workflow systems, working in BoardEffect, Tessitura, and Asana; Maintaining comprehensive gift trackers; Designing and generating reports for internal and external stakeholders
• Prompt and track Committee stewardship touchpoints for senior leadership in the Development department and the Office of the President as appropriate
• Oversee the accurate record-keeping of commitments, forecasting and pipeline development, implementation of marketing efforts or analytics, and budgets by working with the team and collaborating with other development departments

Other duties as assigned.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of five years of development or related experience
• Experience at a large organization or cultural institution is preferred.
• Experience managing constituent groups (e.g., fundraising committees or boards, or similar) to advance mission and meet revenue goals
• Demonstrated experience in the ability to prospect, cultivate, and close individual fundraising for five- and six-figure gifts.
• Track record of building, growing, and maintaining donor relationships, especially with an international constituent
• Experience managing others, setting goals, prioritizing work, delegation, and team-building.
• Experience with Tessitura or a similar CRM database.
• Experience with careful attention to detail and awareness of standard accounting procedures.
• Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area. Relocation assistance is not provided.